Holder for cards or the like



March 21, J, B THOMAS HOLDER FOR CARDS OR THE LIKE Filed May 19, 1965 INVENTORZ LEOHN BTEFHOMAS United States Patent 3,399,805 HOLDER FOR CARDS OR THE LIKE John B. Thomas, Tennessee Paper & Box Co., R0. Box 198, Gallatin, Tenn. 37066 Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 457,032 (Claims. (Cl. 40-128) This invention relates to a holder for cards or the like, and more particularly to a holder for a plurality of cards adapted to be folded into a small packet.

In the description of this invention, it will be understood that the term cards may include photographs or other similar items which may be received and contained within the holder made in accordance with this invention.

Although there are many types of card holders, and foldable holders adapted to contain a plurality of cards, it is believed that the card holder made in accordance with this invention has several structural features which are unique in the art.

Although this holder is particularly adapted for receiving a plurality of cards, particularly the identification cards of ham radio operators, it is also adapted for receiving other types of cards, including photographic rints. P One object of this invention is to provide a holder for a plurality of cards, which may be mounted on a wall for display, or which may be folded into -a compact packet or package.

Another object of this invention is to provide a holder for a plurality of cards, having an envelope or pocket for each card arranged in vertical and horizontal rows.

Another object of this invention is to provide a transparent card holder adapted to be mounted upon a wall to display a plurality of cards, or mounted in reverse position to expose another set of cards.

A further object of this invention is to provide a card holder having a plurality of card pockets arranged in two vertical rows about a center axis, the holder being foldable about its center axis as well as about the partitions between the pockets to form a small packet.

Another object of this invention is to provide a card holder having a pair of vertical rows of card pockets disposed about a longitudinal medial axis, and a rigid member extending across the top of the card holder with a detachable panel aligned with the vertical axis for optional detachment and folding of the rigid member.

A further object of this invention is to provide a transparent, flexible card holder having a pair of rows of pockets disposed about a medial line, the pockets on opposite sides of the center line opening toward each other, so that they may be folded into a small packet where the cards cannot be displaced.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one form of the invention, unfolded for display;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front perspective view of the upper portion of the holder disclosed in FIG. 1 with the detachable section of the binding strip removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the binding strip with the detachable section removed in a partially folded position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holder disclosed in FIG. 1 folded about its medial axis;

FIG. 5 is an edge view of the holder disclosed in FIG. 1 partially folded about the partition lines between the pockets;

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FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line 77 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the card holder 10, made in accordance with this invention, includes an elongated, preferably rectangular, flexible member having a plurality of pockets 12 and 13 arranged in two longitudinal or vertical columnsabout the longitudinal medial line or axis 14 (FIGS. 2 and 7). The holder 10 is preferably made of flexible, transparent sheet material, such as polyethylene plastic. Although the holder 10 may be formed from two sheets of material, the drawings show the holder as being formed of a single sheet folded in proper relationship and heatsealed to form the pockets 12 and 13. As best disclosed in FIG. 7, the single sheet of material is folded along the lines 516 and 17 to form side edges joining the back wall 18 and two front walls 19 and 20 separated by the opposing inner edges 21 and 22. The inner edges 21 and 22 may overlap, but are preferably spaced apart slightly on opposite sides of the medial axis 14, or meet at the medial axis.

As best disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 6, the front walls 19 and 20 are secured to the back wall 18 along a plurality of parallel laterally disposed partition lines 23 and 24, respectively, by any convenient means, such as heat sealing. Thus, a pocket 12 is formed by a pair of adjacent partition lines 23 and the folded edge 16 to close three sides of the pocket. The inner end of the pocket 12 is left open by virtue of the unsecured inner edge 21. In a similar manner, a pocket 13 is formed by a pair of adjacent partition lines 24 and the folded edge 17. The inner edge 22 is also unsecured to leave the inner end of the pocket "13 open and opposing the opening in the laterally disposed pocket 12.

The pockets 12 and 13 are preferably of equal size and designed to accommodate cards such as 27 and 28, respectively. The pockets 12 and 13 formed in this manner, are adapted to be folded about the medial axis 14 and also about the partition lines 23 and 24 into a packet no larger than a single pocket 12 or 13.

The upper lateral edge portion 30 of the holder 10 is secured within a binding strip or hanger strip 31. The binding strip 31 comprises a pair of elongated substantially rigid fiat members 32 and 33 which are secured face-to-face on opposite sides of the upper lateral edge portion 30, by any convenient means such as the grommets 34. Thus, the substantially rigid binding strip 31 not only provides a binder for the upper edge of the holder 10, but also provides a rigid means for securing or hanging the holder 10 upon a wall or other support for display purposes. Moreover, the rigid binding strip 30 also provides a stiffening member to hold the flexible material in a laterally distended position to facilitate folding of the pockets into a small packet.

One important feature of this invention is the construction of the binding strip 31 to maintain the rigidity of the strip 31 or, optionally, to permit folding the strip 31 about its middle coincident with the medial axis 14. In order to carry out this function, a fold or crease line 36 is formed in the back rigid member 33 coincident with the medial axis 14 of the holder. Formed in the front rigid member 32 opposing the crease 36 and adapted to contain the medial axis 14 i a detachable panel or section 37, which forms an integral part of the rigid member 32, but is detachably connected by scored or perforated lines 38 and 39. Thus, by leaving the panel 37 undisturbed in attached position, as disclosed in FIG. 1, the binding strip 31 remains rigid. However, when the detachable panel 37 is separated along the lines 38 and 39 from the remaining portion of the rigid member 32, as disclosed in FIG. 2, the binding strip 31 may be 3 folded about the crease 36 as disclosed in FIG. 3, until the entire holder 10 is completely folded back-to-back about the medial line 14 to assume the position of FIG. 4.

It is also within the scope of this invention to remove the panel 37 during the manufacture of the holder 10 to provide a permanent space in the front rigid member 32 between the lines or edges 38 and 39.

Although the bottom lateral edge of the holder 10 is disclosed as being closed and supported by another binding strip 41, identical to the binding strip 31, the bottom edge could be closed by merely heat sealing so that only a single binding strip 31 would be used.

If desired, as disclosed in FIG. 2, the front member 32 may have imprinted thereon indicia, such as the numbers and blanks 43, to receive index or catalogue information about the contents of the pockets 12 and 13.

When it is desired to use the holder 10 for supporting and displaying cards 27 and 28 of the type used for identifying ham radio operators and their call letters, the holder 10 is usually merely heat-sealed across the bottom and the binding strip 41 is not employed. With the holder 10 in the open display position of FIG. 1, the cards 27 and 28 are inserted into their respective pockets 12 and 13 through the openings formed by the inner edge 21 and 22, respectively. If the operator 'is not concerned about folding the holder into the smallest possible package, or is more interested in having a permanently rigid hanger member 31, then the detachable panel 37 is permitted to remain in place, and the entire folder is suspended by nails, hooks, tape, glue or any other desired means applied to the hanger strip 31 against a supporting surface such a a wall. The holder 10 is designed so that it may be mounted either with the front walls 19 and 21 or the back wall 18 exposed to view, since the entire sheet material in the holder 10 is transparent, and the holder 10 is flat on both sides.

Where the holder 10 is employed, for example, to support Polaroid photographic prints, the bottom binder strip 41 is preferably secured to the bottom lateral edge of the holder 10. The photographs are inserted into the respective pockets 12 and 13 in the same manner as described above, and the holder 10 is supported on the wall as previously described. However, if the owner of the holder 10 desires to remove the holder from the wall and fold it into as compact a package as possible, the binding strip 31 is removed from the wall, the detachable strip 37 is separated along the lines 38 and 39 and discarded, as disclosed in FIG. 2. The holder 10 is then preferably folded in the manner disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4, about the medial axis 14, and then the holder is folded about the laterally disposed partition lines 23 and 24 until the holder 10 has been condensed to a packet having approximately the dimensions of a single pocket 12 or 13. FIG. illustrates the folding of holder about the lateral partition lines 23 and 24, although in FIG. 5, the holder has not been folded first about the medial axis 14.

The grommets 34 not only are one example of a means for fixedly securing the bonding strip 31 to the upper edge portion 30, but also provide openings through which nails or hooks may be inserted to support the holder 10 in its display position, without damaging or tearing the binding strip 31. The binding strip 31 may be made of paperboard, cardboard or plastic, and may be formed of a single strip scored and folded about its longitudinal center line to form the two rigid members 32 and 33. It will be understood, of course, that two separate member 32 and 33 of equal size may be fixed flat against the opposite sides of the upper portion 30, if desired.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without Cit departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for cards or the like comprising:

(a) a flexible member having a longitudinal medial axis and including a plurality of card pockets,

(b) said pockets being arranged on opposite sides of and opening toward said axis,

(c) first and second elongated flat members extending along and on opposite sides of one lateral edge of said flexible member,

(d) means securing said first and second elongated members to said lateral edge,

(e) a crease in said first member coinciding with said medial axis,

(f) a detachable section extending transversely from edge to edge of said second member and containing said medial axis, whereby removal of said section permits said first and second members to be folded along said crease and about said medial axis.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said detachable section forms an integral part of said second member but is separated from the remaining portions of said second member by a pair of perforated lines parallel to and on opposite sides of said medial axis.

3. A holder for cards or the like comprising:

(a) a flexible member having a longitudinal medial axis and including a plurality of card pockets,

(b) said pockets being arranged on opposite sides of and opening toward said axis,

(c) first and second elongated fiat members extending along and on opposite sides of one lateral edge of said flexible member,

((1) mean securing said first and second elongated members to said lateral edge,

(e) a crease in said first member coinciding with said medial axis,

(f) an opening extending transversely from edge to edge of said second member and containing said medial axis, to permit said first and second members to be folded about said medial axis.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said flexible member is transparent.

5. A holder for cards or the like comprising:

(a) a flexible member having a longitudinal medial axis and including a plurality of card pockets,

(b) said pockets being arranged on opposite sides of and opening toward said axis,

(c) a substantially rigid elongated member extending along one lateral edge of said flexible member,

(d) means securing said elongated member to said lateral edge,

(e) a detachable section extending transversely from edge to edge of said elongated member and containing said medial axis, whereby removal of said section permits said flexible member to be folded about said medial axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 864,648 8/ 1907 Jaegar.

942,669 12/ 1909 Sauerwein et al. 1,284,051 11/1918 Bowman 40l59 1,407,656 2/ 1922 J aynes. 2,154,510 4/1939 King 40-159 2,229,012 1/ 1941 Geyzer.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W, J. CONTREMS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HOLDER FOR CARDS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING: (A) A FLEXIBLE MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL MEDIAL AXIS AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CARD POCKETS, (B) SAID POCKETS BEING ARRANGED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AND OPENING TOWARD SAID AXIS, (C) FIRST AND SECOND ELONGATED FLAT MEMBERS EXTENDING ALONG AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF ONE LATERAL EDGE OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER, (D) MEANS SECURING SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELONGATED MEMBERS TO SAID LATERAL EDGE, (E) A CREASE IN SAID FIRST MEMBER COINCIDING WITH SAID MEDIAL AXIS, (F) A DETACHABLE SECTION EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FROM EDGE TO EDGE OF SAID SECOND MEMBER AND CONTAINING SAID MEDIAL AXIS, WHEREBY REMOVAL OF SAID SECTION PERMITS SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS TO BE FOLDED ALONG SAID CREASE AND ABOUT SAID MEDIAL AXIS. 